MP

Rob Johnson (LIB) since 1996, having held the similar seat of Whitford 1993-96.

Profile

The outer northern beachside electorate of Hillarys is bounded by the Mitchell Freeway in the east, the Indian Ocean in the west, Whitfords Avenue in the north and Clontarf Street and Warwick Road in the south. The electorate is split into quadrants by the intersection of Hepburn and Marmion Avenues, and contains the suburbs of Hillarys, Padbury and most of Sorrento and Duncraig. The electorate includes Hillarys Boat Harbour.

Redistribution

The electorate loses parts of Kallaroo to the north of Whitfords Avenue into Ocean Reef, with Marmion and parts of Sorrento in the south transferred to Carine. The Liberal margin declines marginally from 4.2% to 3.5%.

History/Trivia

Over the last three decades, the northern suburbs of Perth have tended to swing back and forth between Labor and Liberal with each change of government. In the early 1980s, the failure of government services to keep pace with urban growth on the northern edge of Perth was responsible for the swing that helped elect the Burke government in 1983. The area covered by Hillarys was then on the edge of Perth, part of the seat of Whitford which was represented by Labor's Pam Beggs from 1983 and 1993. In 1993, Whitford and neighbouring seats swung solidly to the Liberal Party. Re-named Hillarys ahead of the 1996 election, the surge of new housing is now well to the north of the district and Hillarys has become a relatively safe Liberal seat.

2-Party Booth Result

Liberal majorities were recorded in six of the eight booths used in 2005, the Liberal vote rising from 42.2% at Padbury Primary School to 62.0% at Sacred Heart College in Sorrento.